Stamping machine



Jan-,29, 1946 F. L. HETZVEL Erm. Y I 2,393,683

STAMPING MACHINE Jan 29, 1946. F. L. HETZEL ErAL STAMPING MACHINE Filed May 6, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR: I/E'ankELbj/e, s BY a ne ars Patented Jan. 29, 19416` UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,393,683. STAMHNG MAQHNE Frank. L... Hetzel and Volney E; Sarstedt.

Los, Angeles Coonty. Calif,4

Application Mai 6;. 1944, Serial No. 534,491.

(CL` leas-.20.1

(i Qlaiml.

This invention relates to punctov piiesses., and incre particularly to anfautoniatic starripirie` mae chine for stamping sheet material to fcontorni to the shape oi .an article, for example. a badge secured. between two pieces of transparent` sheet materie; te prevent unauthorized `alteration of indicia. either side .oi tiie badge, while permittins the badge to be The general. object of the invention .iste provide a .stamping of. the character stated. with an automatic ieed mechanism .for ieedine tioe worir. into position to loe stamped by the punch press and including means wnerebythe work may `be placed and on said feed mechanism. to resister accurately witlnl tiie die oi the'ininclopressl when the work .is ted under said.' de py said iced mechanism..

Qtiier objects and advantages will appear heres inciter.e o

Tire inyention is illustrated in tiie annexed .drawings which iorrn 'a part ci tiiis specification and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front; elevation of my invention.'

Fie.. 2. is a rear elevation ci` my invention;

Fie. 3 is a. plan view oi my invention.

el is an end elevation oi my invention.

Fie. is a rear elevationoi certain parts of the .feedinechanisrn shown in .one of its. positions.

Fie, d is 'like Fig; s but snowing trie parte .in another positionf Fia 'I is a. iraginentary plan view of tlie ,iced mechanism snowing one of tiie worle holders. oi said mechanism .in its reieasedposltlon ior receivins the worte...

Fie.. 8 is edge view oi' the work..v holder as shown. on '7,

Fig.9 is a view like Fie.,v '.1 out snowing. the work holder `in its position holding the work position to be stamped by the punch press,

Fig.. v is an edge view of. the worie iidider as .shown on. ,Fis- 9- Fie... 11. is .aiace view of badge stamped by our invention,

Fie.. i2. is a lower edge view ci' trie badge shown on Fig, 11.

Referring more particularly to the .f lrawlnes..` in which corresponding parts are designated by the saine reference characters in. all oi the .rieures rny invention includes generally a punch press l, an automatic iced mechanism 2 ior reedmg the work to said press. electrical control. 3 .actuated by said. ieed mechanism ior controlling the operation of said punch press, and av motor 4 for drivingv said ,punch press and said automatic. -feed mechanism.. which punch press feed meciiae nisin and motor mounted. a supporting france .5..

` The supporting frame 5 may comprise .a pair oi spaced parallel horizontal beams 6 arranged one in irontof the, other, lees 1 on which the ends of said beams are supported., and a pair of lees 8 on. which said ioeanis are respectively supported intermediate their ends.

',llne punch press i comprises a .frame 9,. a

plunger In, slidabiy mounted in said frame a die ii the lower end of said plunger, a cranls shaft l2. Jioornaied Vin .bearings i3.. on; the upper part of said trarne. and iorined with. a crank I4, and a pitinan t5. connected to .said crank and the upper end or said plunger1 .The nunon' press .trarne 9 is formed at its rear with; a. downwardly-extending support i6 which secured to tile rear bearn 5 or the. frame 5 intermediate the ends of seid beam, whereby the ponen press I is mounted in its operative position said. iranie. @n the crank shaft. i2 oi the. punch press l is secured a ouuey u. t

i bracket ld is securedto the. of the punchpress frame 9, on which ioraclsety is mounted the motor 4. On the moto! Shaft I9 is secured a pulley .2o. over which pulley and. .the .pulley il extends a. Teelt .2.1, whereby the punch. press I is driven by the motor 4.

'i'.iie automatic feed mechanism Zincludes eenerally a work-feeding conveyor 22,` andan actuatine` mechanism 23j, driven 'by the in otor 4, for intermittently advancing said Work-feeding conveyor `to iced the work units 24 successively to the vp les l and for actuating the electrical f means 3 for controlling the operation of seid punch press... Said. work-feeding conveyor: 22 comprises a drive sprocket shaft 25z a pair of sprockets 26 secured on said shaft in spaced reiation. a sprocket shaft 2,1, a pair of sprockets 28 secured on s aig shaft 21 in spaced relation, a pair of` chains 25, each of which extending over one of said 4sprockets 26 .ang one of said sprockets 28, anda, plurality o; work carriers 30 mounted suc- .Cessively on said chains 29. The shaft 25 is jougnaied in bearings 3| secured on one end of the horizontal beams 6, respectively, of the supporting frame 5, and the shaft 21 is journaled in bearings `3'2, secured on the other epd o said frame beanosg respectivelyB with the sprockets 25 and V 28 between said bearings 3! and 32, respectively, and between sai@ frame beams 6. Each of the Work carriers 39. comprises e plate 33 pivotally mounted on a. pair of supporting rods 34 secured on the work-feeding conveyor 22; a Work gripper i5 .for

trienios-the Work 24 on said siete in position to rods are secured in said chains, respectively. The,

plate 33 of each work carrier 38 is pivotally connected at its opposite side edges to a pair of sup- Y porting rods 34, respectively, by means of knuckles 31 formed on said side edges, respectively of said plate, there being a pair of said knuckles formed on each of said side edges through which one of said supporting rods 34 extends. -The work griply through a lug 12 on th'e rear side of said rear beam 6, and a nut 13 is threaded on said bolt 18 for engaging said lug 12 for adjusting said lever 62 against the tension of the spring 68, in the manner and for the purpose hereinafter more fully described. To the lower end of said pawl 58 is connected one end of a rod 14, the other end of which is connected to an actuating arm 15 which issecured at one end to a pivot shaft 16 journaled in a bearing'11 secured on the rear A side of the rear beam 6 of the supporting frame 5. The other end of said actuating arm 15 is formed with a fork 18 which straddles the acper 35 of each work carrier 38, comprisesva sleeve ably tted on one of the supporting rods 34 of the work carrier, between the knuckles 31 on one edge of the plate 33 of the work carrier, through which knuckles said rod extends. vThe triggercontrolled holding device 36 for the work gripper 35 comprises a trigger 48 upstanding from the rear end of the sleeve 38 of said work gripper; a spring-engaging nger 4I extending radially from said rear end of said sleeve 38; and a flat spring 42 secured at one end at 43 to the plate 33 of the work carrier 38 and engaging at the other end said spring-engaging finger 4I, said other end of said spring being bent downwardly and forming a stop 44 for engaging the outer side of the upper end of said finger 4I for arresting and holdingthe work gripper 35 in its raised and released position, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings.

tuating shaft 5| between two collars 19 and 86 secured on said shaft.

A coil spring 8| is connected at one end to the pawl-shaped element 58 and at its oth'er end to a part of the rear beam 6 at 82 for maintaining saidvpawlin engagement with the ratchet-shaped element 51. A

ThelelectricalV control means 3 for controlling the operation of vthe punch press I comprises an electrical control circuit 83, including an automatic control switch 84 and a solenoid 85, the core 86 of which solenoid is connected by a link 81 to an arm 88 pivoted at 89 to th'e front leg 8 of the frame 5, which arm 88 is connected by a rod 98 to the conventional spring clutch 9| of the punch press I, for shifting said clutch into On the surface of the plate 33 of each work carmaterial 41 and 48 to be stamped by the punch press die to the shape of said article.

The actuating mechanism 2| for actuating the work-feeding conveyor 22 and the punch press will now be described.

On the rear end of the drive sprocket shaft 25 of the work-feeding conveyor 22 is secured a Worm gear 49 in mesh with a worm 58 secured on one end Voi an actuating shaft 5I, which' shaft is slidably journaled in bearings 52 and 53 mounted on the rear beam 6 of the supporting frame 5. On the other end of said actuating shaft 5I is secured a pulley 54 and on the corresponding end of the shaft I9 of the motor 4 is secured a pulley 55, over which pulleys extends a belt 56 whereby said actuating shaft is driven by said motor. A ratchet-shaped element 51 is also secured on the drive sprocket shaft 25, which ratchet is engaged by a pawl-shaped element 58 pivoted at 59 on the forward end of a switch lever 68, which lever is pivoted at 6| on the forward end of a pawl-adjusting lever 62 pivoted at 63 on th'e rear side of the rear beam 6 of the supporting frame 5. To the lever 68 at 64 is connected one end of a coil spring 65, which spring is connected at its other end at 66 to the rear side of said rear beam 6. To the pawl-adjusting lever 62 at 61 is connected one end of a coil spring 68, which spring is connected at its other end at 69 to a part of the rear side of said side beam 6. A threaded bolt 18 is pivotally connected atone end at 1I v or out of' engagement for operating or discontinuing the operation of said punch press in the manner and for the purpose hereinafter more fully described.l The circuit 83 is connected to mains 92 and 93 by a main switch 94, one lead 95 of said circuit extending from one terminal of said main switch to one terminal contact 96 of the automatic control switch 84, and another lead 91 of said circuit extending from the other terminal of said main switch to one end of the coil 98 of the solenoid 85. A lead 99 of said circuit 83 extends from the other terminal contact |88 of said automatic control switch' 84 to the other end of said solenoid coil 98.

The automatic control switch 64 has a bridge contact I8| secured on the rear end of the switch lever 68, to the forward end of which is pivoted the pawl 58 of the actuating mechanism 23 for th'e work feed mechanism 2, which bridge contact engages the contacts 96 and |88 and closes the switch 84 when said pawl is swung outwardly from the ratchet 51 in the manner and for the `purpose hereinafter more fully described.

The motor 4 is connected t0 the circuit 83 by leads I82 and |83, the lead I82 extending from the lead 95 of said vcircuit to one terminal of said motor, and the lead |83 extending from th'e other terminal of said motor to the lead 91 of said circuit, there being a motor switch |84 interposed in said leads |82 and I83.

A trigger trip arm is secured to the punch press support I6 andits outer end |86 is bent downwardly for engaging and tripping the trigger 48 of the trigger-actuated holding device 36 for the work gripper 350i each work carrier 38,

Y for releasing said holding device fromrsaid work gripper, after the workon each carrier has been punched by the punch press I, whereby the work gripper is caused to release the work on each carrier, so that the work will drop off the carrier into a box |81 as the carriers are advanced around the sprockets' 26 of th'e work-feeding conveyor 22.

The work unit 24 to be stamped by the punch press comprises the article 46, such as an identifying badge worn by employees in war production plants, andthe two pieces of sheet material 41 and 48, between which said article is secured, which pieces of sheet material `may comprise. a transparent plastic, such as Lucite, and they may be secured together and to the article 46 by heating the same until they adhere to each other and to said article.

The operation of my invention is as follows:

The operator of my invention places a work unit 24 on each work carrier 30 of the workfeeding conveyor 22 at the left of the punch press (Fig. 1) before said work carrier is fed by said conveyor into position under said punch press for stamping said work unit, and the work gripper 35 of the work carrier 30 is swung down by the operator into engagement with the work unit 24, while the spring` 42 of the trigger-actuated holding device 36, engaging the spring engaging iinger 4|, holds the work gripper 35 firmly in position gripping the work unit on the carrier 30. (Figs. 9 and 10). The switches 94 and |04 of the circuit 83 of the electrical control means 3 being closed, electric `current passes from the main 92 through switch `94, lead 95 and lead |02, motor switch |04 and through the field coils of the mot-or 4, and then through lead |03 motor switch |04, lead 91 and switch 94 to main 93, whereupon the motor 4 is driven and the motor shaft |9and the pulleys 20 and55 are rotated. Rotation of the pulley 20 causes the pulley |1, through the belt 2|, to be rotated freely on the crank shaft 2 of the punch press l, while said pulley |1 is normally released from said crank shaft by the disengaged clutch 9|. Rotation of the pulley 55 by the motor 4 causes rotation through the belt 5'6 and pulley 54, of the actuating shaft 5| and worm 50 of the actuating mechanism 23 for the work feed conveyor 22; and rotation of said worm 50, in mesh with the worm gear 49 rotates said worm gear shaft 25, ratchet-shaped element 51, and sprockets 29 (clockwise in Figs. 1 and 3, and counter' clockwise in Figs. 2, 5 and 6), whereupon the work-feeding conveyor `22 is advanced a short distance to bring a work carrier 30 and the work unit 24 gripped therein directly under and into alignment with the punch press I, during which operation the tooth of the ratchet-shaped element 51 engaging the pawl-shaped element 58 lifts said pawl-shaped element and thereby swings the switch lever 60 on its pivot 6| until the automatic control switch 84 of the clutch-actuating circuit 83 is closed. The closing of said control switch prevents further movement of the switch lever 69 by the ratchet-shaped element 51V and pawlshaped element 58, and said pawl-shaped element, engaging said tooth of said ratchet-shaped element, prevents further rotation of said ratchetshaped element and the sprocket shaft 25, worm gear 49 and conveyor sprockets 28, whereby further advancement of the work-feeding conveyor 22 is arrested, with the work unit 24, gripped in one of the Work carriers 30 on said conveyor, positionedin accurate registration with the die on the lower end of the plunger I of the punch press l. The closing of the automatic control switch 84 closes the clutch-actuating circuit 83, whereupon electric current passes from the main 0.2 through the main switch 94, lead 95, automatic control switch 84, lead 99, coil 98, of solenoid 85, lead 91, and main switch 94 to main 93, and said solenoid 85, through its core 86, link 81,'

land the arm 83 and connecting rod 90, shifts the clutch 9| `into engagement, clutching the pulley tor 4, through pulley 20, belt 2|, pulleyy .|1,.and clutch 9|, and the punch press is operated, so that its descending die cuts the sheet material 41and 48 of the work unit 24 under said die, along the edge of the article .46 of said work unit gripped by the work-gripper 35 of the work carrier 30, which work carrier is arrested in position below said die of said punch press by the engagement of 'said tooth of the ratchet-shaped element 51 by the pawl-shaped element 58, while the control switch 84 for the clutch-actuating circuit 83 is closed, as aforesaid. The worm gear 4:9 being held against rotation by the engagement ofthe pawl-shaped element 58 with the tooth of the ratchet-shaped element 51 when the automatic control switch `84 of the clutch-actuating circuit 83 is closed, the rotation of the worm 59 in mesh with said `worm gear 49, as aforesaid, causes said worm and the worm shaft together withthe collars 19 and 80 and pulley 54 on said shaft and the belt 56 on said pulley to be drawn forwardly (to the left in Figs. 2, 5 and 6, and to the right in Fig. 3)., whereupon the arm 15, engaged by said collar 89, is swung on its pivot 16 (to the left in Figs. 2, Y5 and 6, and to the right in Fig. 3) and the pawl-shaped element 58, through the linkY 14 is swung on its pivot 59 outwardly from the ratchet-shaped element 51, until said pawlshaped element escapes said tooth of said ratchet shaped element (Fig. `S) whereupon the spring 6 5 swings the switch arm I6|) and opens the auto matie control switch v84, breaking the clutchactuating circuit 83 and releasing the clutch 0|, which causes the punch press to discontinue its operation 'after having punched the article 48 out of the work unit l24, as aforesaid, and as the worm 58 continues its rotation, as aforesaid, the worm gear 49 is rotated by said worm counterclockwise (Figs. 5 and 6), which causes the conveyor shaft 25, ratchet-shaped element 51 and sprockets 26 to rotate correspondingly and said sprockets to advance the work-feeding conveyor 22 until the work carrier 39 and the stamped article 46 therein are moved forwardly from under the punch press I, and said stamped article is discharged from said work carrier as hereinafter described, and a succeeding work carrier 3i! and a work unit 24 gripped thereon are moved to their initial position under the punch press, and dur- 50 ing saidhperations. upon escapement of the pawl shaped element 53 from said tooth of said ratchet-shaped element '51, the rotating worm 58,

in mesh with the rotatingv worm gear 49, is moved rearwardly (to the left in Fig. 3 and to the right 55 in Figs. 2, 5 and 6,), together with the work shaft 5|, collars 19 and 89, and pulley 54 on said shaft and belt y56 on said pulley, as fast as the pawlshaped element 5,8 swings inwardly as it rides down the incline edge of the escaped tooth of the o ratchet-shaped element 51, under the inflluence of. the spring 8| and the lever 15 through the link 14, as said lever is swung, counterclockwise (Fig. y

3) on its pivot 16 by the enga-gement of the outer endy of saidlever by the collar 1B on the rearwardly moving worm shaft 5|, until the pawlshaped element 58 engages the next tooth suc ceeding said escaped tooth, and arrests said operu atingv parts of the machine in their initial posi tion, as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive of the drawings, thus completing a cycle of operations of the machine, which will be repeated upon further driving or the machine by the motor 4 as above described.

After the article 46 is stamped from the. work unit 24 gripped in each workcarrier 30'and the work carrier is advanced by the work conveyor 22 from under the punch press I, as aforesaid, the work carrier passes under the trigger trip arm |05 so that the end |06 of said arm engages the tripper 4U of the trigger-controlled holding device 36 for the work gripper 35 of the work carrier 30 and swings said trigger 40 rearwardly andzthe spring-engaging finger 4I upwardly raising the free end of the spring 42 and the work gripper fingers 39 upwardly and causing the work gripper 35 to release the work unit 24 on the work carrier 30. As each Work carrier 30 is advanced by the work-feeding conveyor 22 over the conveyor drive sprockets '26 the stamped work unit 24, released by the trigger trip arm |05, as aforesaid, together with the stamped article 46 in said work unit, drop off the work carrier into the box |81 at the remote end of the work-feeding conveyor 22, and said article 46, such asV a badge, secured between the transparent sheet material 41 and 48 with said ma-terial stamped along the outline of said article, may be removed from said box for use.

The work-feeding conveyor 22 may be adjusted to bring the work carriers 30 and the work units 24 with the articles 46 gripped thereon into exact registration with the die I I of the punch press I, by turning the adjusting unit 13 on the threaded adjusting bolt 10. By turning said adjusting nut 13 in one direction said nut runs downwardly on the adjusting bolt I and engages the upper face of the lug I2 and draws said adjusting bolt and the rear end of the pawl-adjusting lever 62 upwardly, swinging said lever counterclockwise (Figs. 5 and 6) on its pivot 63 and lowering the forward end of said lever, the switch lever 6|) and the pawl-shaped element 58, whereby said pawl is adjusted to engage a tooth of the ratchetshaped element 51 at a lower position, which adjustment of said pawl-shaped element and ratchet-shaped element adjusts the work-feeding conveyor 22 and its work carriers 30, slightly rearwardly to register with the punch press By turning the adjusting nut 'I3 in the other direction said nut runs upwardly on the adjusting bolt 'I0 and the spring 68 draws the rear end of the pawl-adjusting lever 62 downwardly, swinging said lever clockwise on its pivot 63 and raising the forward end of said lever, the switch lever 60 and the pawl 58, whereby said pawl is adjusted to engage a tooth of the ratchet 51. at a higher position, which adjustment of the pawl and ratchet adjusts the work feeding conveyor 22 slightly forwardly to register with the punch press I.

We claim:

1. A stamping machine including a punch press. a feed mechanism with a plurality of work carriers, on each of which work carriers is indicated the outline of the article of the work unit to be stamped by said punch press when said outline registers with the die of said punch press, means for gripping said work units on said carriers, respectively, with the articles of said work units in vregistration with said outlines on said carriers and means for operating said feed mechanism and said punch press in synchronism, whereby said carriers of said feed mechanism are fed successively under said punch press and said work units, gripped on said work carriers, are stamped successively by said punch press.

2. A stamping machine as claimed in claim 1 including means for arresting said feed mechanism, during each operation of the punch press, with the outline of the article on one of the work carriers of said feed mechanism in registration with the die of said punch press.

3. Ak stamping machine comprising a punch press, an endless chain feed conveyor for feeding work units successively to said punch press, a drive shaft and sprockets for driving said endless chain conveyor, a worm wheel on said drive shaft, a slidably journaled worm shaft, a, worm on said worm shaft in mesh with said worm wheel, bear ings in which said worm shaft is slidably journaled, a collar on said worm shaft, a ratchetshaped element secured on said conveyor drive shaft, a pawl-shaped element for engaging said ratchet-shaped Aelement for arresting said feed conveyor against movement successively in positions with the work units on said feed conveyor under said punch press for punching said work .units successively, a pivoted arm engaged by said collar and actuated by said worm shaft, a rod connected to said arm and to said pawl-shaped element, a motor,Y means for enabling said motor to rotate said worm shaft, whereby said worm, in mesh with said worm wheel, draws said worm shaft rearwardly and said worm shaft, through said pivoted arms and said connecting rod, swings said pawl-shaped element until it disengages a tooth of said ratchet-shaped element, so that said worm in mesh with said worm wheel will draw said worm shaft forwardly and said worm will rotate said worm wheel and conveyor drive shaft and sprockets to advance said conveyor, until the next work unit on said conveyor is brought under said punch press, and said pawl-shaped element actuated by said worm shaft through said pivoted arm and said connecting rod engages the next tooth on said ratchet-shaped element to arrest said conveyor with said next work unit on said conveyor in position under said punch press to be punched, and means for actuating said punch press to punch each work unit when fed under said press by said feed conveyor.

4. A stamping machine as claimed in claim 3 in which the means for actuating the punch press comprises means for driving the punch press, a clutch controlling said driving means, an electrical circuit including a switch and actuating means for said clutch, and means whereby said switch is closed by said pawl-shaped element, when said pawl-shaped element disengages a tooth of said ratchet-shaped element, for closing said circuit to cause said clutch-actuating means to swing said clutch into engagement so that said punch press will be driven by its said driving means.

5. A stamping machine including a punch press, a feed mechanism for feeding the work to said punch press, said feed mechanism including a drive shaft, a ratchet-shaped element on said drive shaft, a pawl-shaped element for engaging the teeth of said ratchet-shaped element successively, for successively arresting said feed mechanism in operative position under said punch press, an adjusting lever for said pawl-shaped element, a switch lever pivoted to said pawl ad-- justing lever and on one end of said switch lever is pivoted said pawl, means for adjusting said pawl-adjusting lever for adjusting the position of engagement of said pawl-shaped element with the teeth of said ratchet-shaped element and thereby adjusting the movement of said feed mechanism, so that said feed mechanism will reg- .ister with said punch press for stamping work fed by said feed mechanism, driving mechanism for said punch press including a controlling clutch, a clutch-actuating circuit including a controlling switch actuated by said switch lever, driv ing mechanism for said drive shaft and said work unit, and means actuated by said drive l mechanism for said drive shaft and said ratchetshaped elementfor disengaging said pawl-shaped element from said ratchet-shaped element and for swinging said switch lever to open said switch' and break said clutch-actuating circuit to disl continue operation of said punch press, and to enable said drive mechanism, through said drive shaft, to advance said feed mechanism to its next position in which position said feed mechanism is arrested by the engagement of said pawlshaped element with the next tooth of said ratchet.

6. A stamping machine including a punch press, a feed mechanism for feeding work units to said punch press successively, said feed mechanism including a drive shaft, a ratchet-shaped element on said drive shaft, a pawl-shaped element for engaging the teeth of said ratchet-shaped element successively for successively arresting said feed mechanism in operative position under said punch press, means for adjusting said pawlshaped element for adjusting its position of engagement with the teeth of said ratchet-shaped element and thereby adjusting the movement of said feed mechanism, so that said feed mechanism will register with said punch press for stamping the work fed by said feed mechanism, mechanism for driving said drive shaft and said ratchet-shaped element for driving said feed mechanism, mean actuated by said driving mechanism for swinging said paWl-shaped element outwardly when a work unit on said feed mechanism has been stamped by said punch press until said pawlshaped element `disengages each tooth of said ratchet-shaped element, and for swinging said pawl-shaped element inwardly to engage the next tooth of said ratchet-shaped element to arrest said feed mechanism in its next position, as said feed mechanism is advanced by said driving mechanism to bring the next Work unit under said punch press, and means for actuating said punch press to stamp each work unit when fed under said punch press by said feed mechanism and while said feed mechanism is arrested by the engagement of said paWl-shaped element with a tooth of said ratchet-shaped element.

FRANK L. HETZEL. VOLNEY CARSTEDT.' 

